


A Business Lunch

by fandom_flotsam



Category: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra | Phantom of the Opera & Related Fandoms, Le Fantôme de l'Opéra | Phantom of the Opera - Gaston Leroux
Genre: (This is what happens when i read books), Also haha important note confirmed bachelor is 1800s slang for gay, M/M, OR IS IT??, Technically since this is Leroux based it’s Armand and not Andre..., Unrequited Love, Yearning, but i am putting this there anyway just for the exposure man!!, i took 0 inspo from the alw musical, jsut so much yearning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-04-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:35:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23680021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fandom_flotsam/pseuds/fandom_flotsam
Summary: so!! that’s my first work on ao3!! hope you guys liked it?? i know my writing style is kinda stilted sometimes but i have been writing academic papers exclusively for the past who-knows-how-long,,, that’s my excuse lolALSO!!! one paragraph of this was written by someone else and then rewritten in my own words but they don’t want to be named,,, i just figured i’d give them credit bc technically it isn’t 100% my writing
Relationships: Firmin Richard/Armand Moncharmin, Gilles André/Richard Firmin
Comments: 7
Kudos: 16





	A Business Lunch

Armand sat at his desk, staring blankly at the budget spreadsheet he was supposed to be balancing. He couldn’t concentrate on the numbers, the lines and squares forming complex patterns before his eyes. His work had kept him up late the past few nights, so he was running on too little sleep. Also, it was ten minutes after eleven, and he was starting to get hungry. Maybe he should ask Firmin to get lunch with him. Firmin, his colleague with whom he shared an office, was much easier to focus on than the page of expenses and incomes. Armand loved to think of Firmin. The two of them had been friends as young men, but had drifted apart years before they became colleagues once more.

  
Armand considered what he knew about Firmin’s present life. At 34, he was still a bachelor—both of them were—which was unusual for men of their position. He worked with Armand, right behind the partition dividing their office into two. Firmin was still rather muscular, although not as strong as he had been in his youth. He was easily irritated and short-tempered, but that was nothing new. His eyes frequently betrayed the anger he tried in vain to conceal: his gaze was steely at best and fiery when crossed.

Armand thought about those blue-gray eyes that seemed to go on forever. He thought about the broad shoulders attached to the well-muscled arms. He thought about that face, behind the partition, focusing on a draft of the new public-relations document that was brought to their office for review. The pale brow, likely slightly creased from reading. The soft hair, not too short and not too long. The lips—

At this, Armand snapped out of his reverie, not allowing himself to think about what he wanted Firmin’s lips to do. Ten minutes had passed, and the budget was not going to balance itself. He turned to the page on his desk, forcing himself to think about the numbers instead of his colleague. His mind felt heavy as he rolled over the values in his head, trying to remember what items were and weren’t included in the total deficit reduction. The grid blurred before is eyes, the crisp lines multiplying and growing fuzzy. Firmin was better at math, why wasn’t he doing this? Firmin…

Armand hadn’t noticed himself standing up from behind his desk or walking to the door of his office, but here he was, holding the doorknob. Why was he there? It was already noon; he must have been leaving for lunch. Perhaps that would help him concentrate. But lunch alone? No, he should invite someone. He knew just the person.

Crossing the room, he reached the partition that divided it in two. Poking his head through the space next to the wall, he called to his colleague: “Firmin?”

“Yes, what is it,” the other replied.

“I was wondering if you would like to come with me to lunch?” Armand inquired. “There is someone very important that I would like to get to know better.”

————————

As the two colleagues walked down the street, Firmin turned to Armand and asked, “So who is this ‘very important person’ that we are meeting with?”

Armand tried his best to sound casual as he said, “I’ll tell you when we get there.”

Firmin looked away, slightly annoyed, and complained, “You know I don’t like surprises, Armand.”

Armand was silently worrying over whether or not it was a good idea to ask Firmin to lunch in the first place as they entered the restaurant. The hostess asked for the size of their party, and Armand responded, “Two, please.”

The hostess led the way to their table, handed them menus, and left. As soon as she was out of earshot, Firmin started questioning Armand. “Two?! What about the very important person? And who is this person anyway? We should have waited for him; a good first impression is everyth—”

“You.”

Firmin was taken aback. “What? What do you mean, me?”

Armand couldn’t look Firmin in the eye as he responded. “You are the very important person. I wanted to get to know you better.”

  
“You…what?”

Armand’s face was growing red, and he regretted ever inviting his colleague to lunch. “We haven’t really done anything outside of work since we were younger. I know we used to be best friends, but ten years really changes a person, you know? I…I guess I miss being friends, and I figured, we’re working together now, so why not—”

Firmin interrupted him. “Not now, Armand. I don’t have time for this.” He paused for a moment, seeming to consider something. He must have come to a reluctant decision on the matter, as he nodded to himself before turning to leave. 

“Firmin, wait!” Armand called after him. He ran out of the restaurant and caught up with Firmin in an alleyway. “Firmin, I’m really sorry that I wasted your time. I just,” Armand’s voice caught as his eyes filled with tears. “I just thought that since we’re working together now, we should know more about each other. That’s all.”

“Oh, Armand,” Firmin said, “I didn’t mean it that way. I just…couldn’t we do this after work? I’m very busy.”

Armand kept pressuring him. “Just one question, Firmin, please. There’s something I’ve really got to know.”

Firmin considered it for a moment before relenting: “Alright fine, but make it short please, I really have to be somewhere after this.”

“Ok, I know you’re a bachelor,” Armand paused as he took a breath to calm himself, “but are you a confirmed bachelor?”

At this, Firmin froze, and Armand thought he saw a flash of fear shoot through his coworker’s eyes. Firmin glanced around to make sure no one was listening before whispering, “That depends, are you?”

Armand felt hot, and he thought his heart was going to explode from how fast it was racing. A wave of shame welled up inside him as he murmured, “Well, yes.” 

Firmin looked relieved as he said, slightly louder, “Me too.”

Armand noticed that they had grown much closer together in the narrow alley as they had made this exchange. He tried to back away, but he ran into the wall. “Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfor—”

The words had barely left his lips before Firmin pressed him against the wall. He put his face inches from Armand’s, saying, “Never apologize,” before fervently kissing him. 

Armand’s momentary feeling of shock faded quickly into pure bliss. He pulled himself closer to Firmin, the kiss becoming deeper as they stood in the alleyway for what seemed like forever. His senses were absolutely overcome with Firmin: he could smell his soap; taste his soft, passionate lips; hear his hot breath and the rustle of his jacket against the alley wall; feel his hands as they moved from his face down his spine to his lower back; and, when they finally released, he opened his eyes to see Firmin’s face just inches from his own.

“Armand…”

Just as suddenly as the kiss had begun, the whole world dissolved. Armand heard Firmin calling his name, and as he opened his eyes, he was once again in his office. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and, looking up, he saw it was Firmin’s. “What? What happened,” Armand mumbled.

“I came to ask you something,” Firmin replied, “but when I got here, you were asleep.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I must’ve been focusing too hard and fell asleep. What was the question?”

To Armand’s surprise, Firmin smiled slightly. “Oh, it isn’t important.” Firmin’s gaze was uncharacteristically warm as he said, “It’s almost one o’clock, and I was just wondering if you would like to get lunch with me?”

**Author's Note:**

> so!! that’s my first work on ao3!! hope you guys liked it?? i know my writing style is kinda stilted sometimes but i have been writing academic papers exclusively for the past who-knows-how-long,,, that’s my excuse lol
> 
> ALSO!!! one paragraph of this was written by someone else and then rewritten in my own words but they don’t want to be named,,, i just figured i’d give them credit bc technically it isn’t 100% my writing


End file.
